First bookbinding project: done!

[luzula]

Okay, here's the result. I am very satisfied for a first try! : D

This is the finished book block. Compared to this photo, what has happened is: glueing on the end papers, rounding and glueing the spine, glueing on the headbands, glueing the mull (thin fabric) on the spine. The mull is what will later make the book block and the case hang together.


Here is the case before glueing it on.


Here is the finished book, open to show where the mull, linen tapes and end paper have been glued onto the case. This looked horrible before it had dried, all wrinkled and uneven! But I guess the moisture made the paper expand, and then when it dried, it shrank up and ended up looking much better. There's only a small wrinkle now, and it's not quite centered, but for a first try I think it looks fine.


Here is the book lying closed.


And here it's lying open.


It's an actual book! That I can put in my book case! : D From the outside, it actually looks a lot like my first edition of Flight of the Heron, except there's no title on the cover.

Here are the things I will do differently next time:
- Punch through the signatures with the awl from the inside, not the outside (see previous post).
- Not make the spine quite so rounded.
- Shape the bit of thinner cardboard that goes against the spine into a rounded shape before I glue it to the cloth (much harder to do afterwards!)
- Make the boards for the front and back slightly less wide.
- Get more practice glueing the end papers on.

Comments

[ride_4ever]

Nicely done! Reminiscent of the archival book repair that I do at the public library where I work.

[luzula]

Oh, cool, I didn't know you did such things for work!

[ride_4ever]

I'm a Collection Management Librarian. I do book acquisitions (i.e., choosing and ordering titles), data entry to create bibliographic content in the RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois Library Systems) database, physical preparation of received books prior to public shelving, and many kinds of book repair.

[jesse_the_k]

Huzzah!

That’s lovely.

[luzula]

Thank you! : D

[regshoe]

Hooray! Aww, it looks beautiful. Very well done :)

[luzula]

Thank you! I am very satisfied, for a first try. : D

[isis]

Wow! It looks like an actual book, well done!

[luzula]

Ha ha, yes, that's just the feeling I have. I made an actual book!

[falkner]

This looks amazing!

[luzula]

Thank you! : )

[dhampyresa]

It looks so good and book-like!

[luzula]

It does! : D

[garonne]

This looks so cool!

I am curious about the pattern of alternating dark and light spots at the top and bottom of the spine. I can see it in the first photo and also the second last one. I have often seen this on other books bound i this way, but I can't work out where it comes from?

[luzula]

Those are the headbands. On most books (this one included) they are purely decorative strips of fabric with a striped pattern on the visible edge, that are glued onto the book block. Originally they were sewn onto the book block, which can still be done today, but it seems rare. Then they consist of thread (traditionally silk) which is wound about a core of something more solid. You can see how it's done here.

[chestnut_pod]

Wow, that looks extremely respectable! I could pull that off the shelf in the university library :)

[luzula]

Respectable was exactly my aim, which is why I chose such a traditional and sober fabric! I wanted it to look like my first editions of Broster books from the 1920s. : )

[pensnest]

How *very* cool!

[luzula]

Thank you! : )

[nyctanthes]

It looks great!

[luzula]

Thanks! : )

[seascribble]

you made a book!!!

[luzula]

I did! It is very satisfying. \o/

[hurry_sundown]

Get down with your bad self, Luz! That looks like a for real, genuine article book. It's lovely.

[luzula]

I know, right? It's so satisfying. \o/

[mific]

Very excellent! And there must be ways to make and glue a title onto the spine?

[luzula]

What I really want is those gold or silver metallic letters that look like they're stamped into the fabric, but alas, probably too advanced. Maybe I could cut out a template and paint the title on? I'll have to think about it...

[aria]

Oh that looks SO COOL

[luzula]

Thanks! You should try it too. : D

[skygiants]

Oh that looks lovely, well done!

[luzula]

Thank you! : D Actually it looks a lot like my 1920's first editions of D K Broster's books, which was my aim.

[china_shop]

Oh, wow! That's so cool! *admires*

[luzula]

Thank you! I'm very happy with it.

[starshipfox]

Beautiful! I love this.

[luzula]

Thank you! I'm very happy with it.